Red Tails: Tuskegee Airmen of World War II

Open until Fall 2008

This exhibit focuses on the contributions of African Americans to the United States Military and the creation of the Army Air Corps at Tuskegee Institute in July 1941. It is also dedicated to the service of Little Rock’s own Lt. Colonel Woodrow “Woody” Crockett who graduated from Dunbar High School in 1939.

The exhibit honors the monumental service of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. They were called the “Red Tail Angels” by the white pilots, because of their reputation of never losing a bomber on a mission.

The success of the African American pilots led the way for policy change within the United States Military. In 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, which integrated the military. The US Air Force was the first to officially to institute policy. Lt. Colonel Woodrow Crockett flew during both World War II and the Korean War, receiving two soldiers’ awards for bravery, by saving two men’s lives on two separate occasions.

The exhibit contains pictures and artifacts from Lt Colonel Woodrow Crockett’s collection and will be on exhibit through fall 2008. Within the exhibit a there is a documentary that plays in the museum theater twice daily as well as within the exhibit itself.

Photo gallery

Photo of objects included in the Redtails exhibit.  Photo of pictures included in the Redtails exhibit.  Photo of more pictures included in the Redtails exhibit.  Photo of pictures on a free-standing display included in the Redtails exhibit.

Learn more

The bibliographies are in Microsoft Word format. When you click the link, the document opens in a new window. To return to this page, close the window. If you click the link but the document doesn't open, download Microsoft Word Viewer free so you can view and print the documents.

African-Americans in the Military
Elementary bibliography
Adult bibliography

Tuskegee Airmen Web sites
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
Ace Pilots Web site, with excerpts on Tuskegee Pilots
African American Web site with excerpt on Tuskegee Airmen
Air Force Base Museum
Tuskegee Airmen, Inc (Foundation for Tuskegee Airmen)

Red Tails: Tuskegee Airmen of World War II was voted best exhibit by the Arkansas Museum Association at their recent annual meeting.

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